Journey Through My Decks: 10 of Swords

In this series of posts, I plan to discuss all of the Tarot cards in order, using a different deck for each card. Today I'm exploring the TEN OF SWORDS from  Tarot of the Origins (Sergio Toppi /  LoScarabeo).

Tarot of the Origins (LoScarabeo)

In the four suits are as follows:

• The Soul suit (blue) - refers to the traditional Chalices (Cups) suit
• The Jewels suit (yellow) - refers to the traditional Pentacles suit
• The Nature suit (green) - refers to the traditional Wands suit
• The Blood suit (red) - refers to the traditional Swords suit

In the little white book (LWB) that comes with the deck, Pietro Alligo and Manfredi Toraldo write:

"The Blood suit was defined in place of Swords as the last suit, developing the meaning of energy, movement, and in some cases, aggressiveness and representing every action tied to survival: hunt, war, etc." The Ten of Blood is called "Environment of Blood." The LWB describes the image on the card as "a piece of meat cooking on the fire and a man seemingly self-satisfied for the meal which he is about to prepare."

The keyword provided for this card in the LWB is Satisfaction -- which could be seen as the opposite of the meaning given to the Ten of Swords in Book T*: Ruin.

Thoth Tarot (U.S. Games)

In his Pictorial Key to the Tarot  (WeiserBooks) A.E. Waite allows that the Ten of Swords reversed can suggest "advantage, profit, success, favour" then hastens to add "but all of them transient." Bummer.

Rider Tarot (U.S. Games)

For the moment, however, let's dwell on the obvious satisfaction and joy we see in the face of the man on the Tarot of the Origins card. He seems to be very much "in the moment," pleased that he has made it through another day and that he knows where his next meal is coming from. That's all that matters to him right now.


* Book T   The Tarot, Comprising Manuscripts N, O, P, Q, R, and an Unlettered Theoricus Adeptus Minor Instruction. A Description of the Cards of the Tarot with their Attributions; Including a Method of Divination by Their Use. A public domain manuscript.





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About the deck: Llewellyn, the publisher that distributes Tarot of the Origins, describes it as "the perfect expression of raw, primal archetypal conditions while maintaining the complexity of the modern human experience. . . . allowing the reader to reconnect with humankind's shared spiritual origins."

Life Lesson Spread from Helen!

It is my pleasure to welcome an exceptional Tarot reader and dear friend, Helen Howell, as a guest blogger today on Tarot Notes.

Some time ago Helen shared a spread on this blog called _Spirit Message Reading_, which examined something that one's guides wanted to get across right now. The spread she shares today takes that idea a little further in that it asks what is the one lesson that they feel we should learn in this life.

And now... here's Helen!

Life Lesson Spread

The Layout

Hello everyone! Helen here.

The Positional Definitions are:
1: What's the one lesson in this life that my spirit guide/s want me to learn?
2: Why do they need me to learn this?
3: How will they help me to achieve this?
4: How will I recognise the signs from them?
5: What will be the outcome of completing this task?

I'll take this spread for a run and show you it working - shuffling up my Joie de Vivre Tarot (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Joie de Vivre Tarot

1: What's the one lesson in this life that my guide/s want me to learn?
Five of Swords

From the image of this card, and it's quite different from the traditional RWS image, the message I am getting about the one lesson I need to learn in this life is that life is not a battle, and that there is no need to prove myself in any way. It seems to say all this does is isolate one from another. I thought I had a pretty good handle on this, but the ego is a tricksy thing and if allowed will show itself. I understand this and the temptation when in a group to shine along with the rest. I guess I must still work on this one.

Joie de Vivre Tarot

2: Why do they need me to learn this?
Three of Swords

They need me to learn this lesson, so that I do not bring unhappiness upon myself and that I can instead focus on things that really are important. The ego can dull one's view and when not focusing on it you are able to see things in a different light.


3: How will they help me to achieve this?
Four of Swords

They will guide me in meditations that will allow me to gain a better perspective on my life and my achievements. If I take the time to be quiet and still they will help me to heal from things in my past that make me feel I should prove myself and I will emerge with a different focus.

Joie de Vivre Tarot

4: How will I recognise any signs from them?
Two of Wands

All I have to do is trust my intuition. It will tune into any messages they want me to receive and help me take the next best step in my journey and growth. By staying in harmony with my thoughts, feelings and higher self, I will be able to create with their help a life that offers me more benefit from a spiritual point of view and an emotional one.

Joie de Vivre Tarot

5: What will be the outcome of completing this task?
Three of Cups

Harmony will be fully restored, and I will achieve what they desire for me, which is a balance between mind, body and soul. This in turn will improve not just my life as it is, but also my relationships with those around me.

Putting this all together it seems that the life lesson I need to learn is to be content to be who I am, and release all desire to prove myself, because in the end this is not important to my spiritual journey. They will assist me through meditation and I should trust my intuition to guide me and translate the messages they send. Once I have completely overcome any desire to prove myself or compete in anyway, I will have achieved the balance required that will enhance my time on this earth, not just spiritually but physically too.

You'll notice that in this set of cards there are no Majors, and so that tells me that this is something I am making progress with but still need to pay attention to in my everyday life. Also the majority of cards are swords and this relates to my thinking. So the change has to come in the way I think about things.

Thanks to my spiritual guide/s for reminding me of this worthy lesson that I embarked on only a couple of years ago - obviously I still have a way to go.

If you try the spread, do come back and tell Zanna and me how it worked for you.

~ Helen Howell

Deck Test: Oswald Wirth Tarot

Awhile back I developed a _Deck Test_ -- a 3-card reading (partly in fun) for insight into how well I can expect to work with a new deck.  One of my recent acquisitions is the esteemed Oswald Wirth Tarot (U.S. Games Systems). Let's see what the potential is for our partnership.

Here is the spread:

(1) Drawn from Pips only
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being "absolutely fabulous" and 1 being "truly awful"), how does my ability to work with this deck rate as of right now?

(2) Drawn from Court Cards only
What personality trait(s) do I need to cultivate if I want to be able to work better with this deck in the future?

(3) Drawn from Majors only
How likely is it that I will be able to do amazing, awesome, astonishingly accurate readings with this deck?
Trumps 0-6 = not very likely
Trumps 7-14 = somewhat likely
Trumps 15-21 = very likely

Results for the Oswald Wirth:

(1) SIX OF COINS
Not too bad! It appears I already have a connection to this deck that could very well grow with time.

(2) REINE DE DENIERS (Queen of Coins)
Patience, commitment, determination, taking a practical approach. With a strong Earth influence in my birth chart, I identify with this intelligent and thoughtful Queen. Cultivating her most positive qualities will help me work even better with this deck than I already do.

(3) TRUMP 17 - LES ETOILES (The Stars)
Ah, excellent. It is "very likely" that I will be able to do amazing, awesome, astonishingly accurate readings with this deck. :D

I like the way down-to-earth, practical energy blends with wishes and dreams in these three cards. I sense a very nurturing, generous spirit that will help me read with compassion and attention to detail when using this deck.

REVIEW: Sacred Sites Tarot

R E V I E W

Sacred Sites Tarot
Concept by Massimiliano Filadoro
Artwork by Federico Penco
78 cards
Lo Scarabeo / Llewellyn Publications / 2012
Art Tarot collection edited by Pietro Alligo
ISBN 10: 0738735000
ISBN 13: 978-0738735009  

_About My Reviews_
TOP LINE (formerly Bottom Line)

I really like the international flavor of this deck, which includes sacred sites, people, and mythical characters from a huge number of cultures. Although the theme is "sites," I appreciate that artist Federico Penco includes people in most of the paintings, helping us relate to the cards personally. Even if I were not going to try to read with this deck, I would enjoy studying the images and "visiting" each site via the descriptions in the instruction booklet.

The fact that the cards do not have titles might be unappealing to some, especially those who are just beginning to learn tarot. I would not recommend this deck for beginners who want to learn the "traditional" Tarot card symbols, imagery, and interpretations. However, the deck could certainly be used by someone who prefers to read through intuition alone.

You can watch a video of an interview with Massimiliano Filadoro (concept) and Federico Penco (artwork) at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daykj5eEy9E&feature=plcp

THE PUBLISHER'S PRODUCT SUMMARY

"From Stonehenge to the Egyptian Pyramids to the Taj Mahal, the world is filled with holy structures and ancient places shimmering with mystical energy. Recognized over the centuries for their mysterious connection to the Divine, the power of these revered sites is still felt today. This utterly unique tarot offers a rare opportunity to connect with the age-old wisdom of temples, shrines, and sacred places across five continents."


BASIC INFORMATION

• Theme: Sacred Sites ranging from "the most remote past to modern times"
• Number of Cards: 78
• Major Arcana: 0 (The Fool / Mount Graham) - 21 (The World / Shambhala)
• Justice is 8; Strength is 11
• Majors are numbered in the upper left and lower right corner, using Roman numerals, but do not bear titles
• Court Cards: Knave, Knight, Queen, King
• Courts have a suit symbol top and center and a title-related symbol bottom center (helmet for Knave, horse for Knight, different types of crowns for Queen and King)
• Suits: Chalices (Places of Water), Pentacles (Places of Earth), Wands (Places of Fire), Swords (Places of Air)
• Pips have a suit symbol top and center and a number bottom center in XXXX style; the Aces bear the number "1" instead of the word "Ace"
• Little White Book (LWB) contains Introduction and 10 pages in English, with translations of those pages into Italian, Spanish, French, and German

APPEARANCE, SIZE, QUALITY

Although the deck is structured traditionally, it is not a Rider-Waite "clone." The imagery is culture-specific, but those familiar with the RWS deck will understand why a few of the sites and characters were chosen for specific cards.

For example, the idea of sacrifice connected with The Hanged Man, works well with the choice of the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for Trump 12. Krakatoa, which erupted violently in 1883, seems an appropriate choice for Trump 16, The Tower. On the Judgement card, a huge angel literally blows down the walls of Jericho with her horn. On Strength, a woman poses next to a sculpture of a lion. The Chariot depicts a man sitting on a wagon at a sanctuary.

The card faces have light blue borders. You will not be able to trim these borders without losing the card numbers, suit symbols, and Court Card symbols. However, I find the borders to be unobtrusive.

On the faces of the Majors an image of the world peeks up from behind the upper right corner and lower left corner of the main image. Card backs are light blue with a slightly darker blue design and an image of the world in the center.

The cards measure 2.7 (w) x 4.9 inches, and are printed on average weight stock.

ART

Federico Penco chose watercolors for the artwork in this deck. He felt this allowed him to show real places with actual details, while conveying the mystical or exotic nature of many of these sites. The cards have a high level of detail, which makes them fascinating to study.

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.